2012 French Open Championships...Paris, France

[don_budge]

Sweet Sixteen...

Now it is pared down to the final sixteen. All of the boys have gone home...packed it in. What is remaining are the generally considered to be the heavyweights and today that means one thing...big forehands. Well there are a couple of other considerations.

Still...even at this stage later in the tournament it seems that the matches are decidedly one sided in most cases. In the top half we have Djokovic vs. Seppi, Wawrinka vs. Tsonga, Federer vs. Goffin and Del Potro vs. Berdych. In the bottom half there is Ferrer vs. Granollers, Gasquet vs. Murray, Tipsarevic vs. Almagro and Monaco vs. Nadal. I am picking those bolded to reach the final eight. Let's just forget about the women for the time being.

Did anything of any interest happen in the round before? Not much considering the final possible outcomes of this tournament. But sure there were interesting events. Fernando Verdasco and Gilles Simon were both defeated and their conquerers move on to face bigger prey in the next round. Andreas Seppi has moved on to become cat food for the menacing Djokovic...while Wawrinka (my wife's favorite) takes on Tsonga. There is some mild interest here. But perhaps the most compelling match in the round of sixteen is between Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Tomas Berdych. Del Potro routinely dispatched Marin Cilic while Berdych struggled to get rid of Kevin Anderson in five sets. bman mused that Berdych may be a factor in the final four...but he won't if Del Potro has anything to do with it now. And so it goes. It is still a struggle to conjure up something that could stoke the imagination in this draw.

I watched some of the Eduardo Schwank vs. Raphael Nadal and this relatively low ranked Schwank actually presented some mild problems for the Spanish scythe in the final set. The Grim Reaper appeared to be just a little off balance as the challenger threw an assortment of off speed stuff and mixed up the depth of play a bit. Eduardo tossed in a couple of nice drop shots and managed to throw a couple of lobs over the head of Nadal. This could be an effective strategy for a greater talent (such as Federer) to contemplate when facing Nadal. Why not use this tactic and bring Nadal to net where he is a bit of a fish out of water? Strategically of course...don't overdo it. Djokovic uses angles and change of speed effectively against Nadal as well. I used to think that the backhand of Nadal was a bit vulnerable but he looks as if he has retooled this side and beefed it up a bit. Same as the serve...he seems to be more aggressive and versatile with his serve now. Nothing so obvious but subtly tactically using it more effectively.

I still wonder what they are eating in Gay ol' Paris. Something that goes good with wine I will bet!

[don_budge]

The round of 16...French Open style

The Americans have quietly exited the tournament. The big guy Isner loses 18-16 in the fifth to Paul-Henri Mathieu. Levine meekly surrendered to Raonic. Bing...bang...bye. Johnny Bye Bye.

While there are those that have already handed the title to Raphael Nadal there is still a lot of tennis to be played and some of the match up appear to be quite interesting on paper although it remains to be seen if the actual performance can live up to the expectations. It is not to say that tennis is a boring spectator sport but come on...who wants to sit through five sets and five plus hours of some repetitive low level drama. We definitely need a couple of bad actors to liven things up. Flawed characters can make for a fascinating spectacle...where is the charisma?

Those that are predicting the usual Djokovic vs. Nadal final are probably right in their prognostication. You can't really argue against it. History bears them out...it is on their side. The monotony of having the same two characters slug it out in increasingly epic proportions leave everyone gasping have you ever seen such tennis? Alright, I can understand it. That is not to say that I like it. But until then we have a couple of matches that should be up for grabs. bottle's guy Wawrinka vs. Tsonga is a heavyweight matchup. Del Potro and Berdych should be a slugfest. We have to wait for the bottom half of the draw to catch up to see what pans out in the southern round of 16.

All this being said...it is really an effort to try and conjure up some interest in these preliminaries. That seems to be what they are. Just appetizers before the main course. Just information as it goes. Perhaps one could question how deep the modern game of tennis is if you can already hand over the tournament to one or two players...can we rule out Federer and Murray also? That's just the mens side of things...the women side is just as forgettable. All legs and grunts.

Whew...what an effort! It is tough trying to drum up some interest here. bman is right...so is Stotty. I wonder what the hell Nadal has for strings in his racquet that make it sound as if all of the air is being sucked out of the stadium every time he hits a forehand. I wonder what kind of food they serve at the French Open. What's for lunch?

[bman]

Yes..I think all fed fans are best off rooting for Djokovic in semi. Then again, Djokovic will likely be facing Berdych, not fed.

[stotty]

Nadal

Yes, I never thought of it like that, bman...Nadal winning the French for the next 5 years. Years ago I had Borg down to win 10 slams at Roland Garros, then he retired. It was possible back then...likely even. I just hope Djokovic can find his best form if he makes to the final against Nadal...be a great game if he does.

In a way I hope it's not Federer who makes it to the final against Nadal...it will be a demolition.

[bman]

Nadal in this form would beat Djokovic 2011, especially on clay. Istomin won maybe 4 or 5 points the whole 3rd set, and he was going all out.

I think Nadal might be able to catch Fed even if he just played french opens for the rest of his career. I believe he has at least 4, maybe 5 or 6 more french opens in him. Who can possibly beat him in this form other than maybe Djokovic? It will be like this for the foreseeable future, as I don't see any new 20 year old Nadals on the horizon.

[stotty]

Nadal wants it

Nadal was awesome today against Istomin...never hit his forehand better. I don't know whose forehand i'd rather have, Nadal's or Federer's. As a match winning shot I might have to opt for Nadal's...for beauty Federer's.

Bman, you're right, Nadal looks unbeatable on present form. He really wants this title. He's playing more aggressively than usual on clay. He's doing it for a reason. To be ready for Djokovic.

Djokovic will need to find the form of 2011 if he is to tame Nadal and stop him collecting his 7th record breaking title. But if Djokovic can find that form, he can do it. He has the game to dismantle Nadal...proven seven times in a row...twice on clay too. As Matts Wilander observed during their encounters last year: ''There crosses a point in a rally where Nadal cannot win it"...in the end Nadal becomes overstretched and that's it". Djokovic has lost form since then, and Nadal is playing a more aggressive clay court game than usual, preparing for a titanic clash with the man who has ruined his chances of catching Federer in the Grand Slam tally. Nadal dislikes Federer and would love to overhaul him in Grand Slam wins...looks unlikely now...thanks to Djokovic.

We may see Nadal at his very peak this year. I always thought there was more in him. Thanks to Djokovic we are going to witness it.

[bman]

On the men's side: French open=Boring. Everyone knows Nadal will win. Probably over Djokovic, thought it could be Fed, and there's a tiny chance it might be Berdych.

I don't even get my hopes up that anyone will beat Nadal anymore. As a Fed fan I am tempted to root for Djokovic as he might at least make Nadal sweat a bit in the final.

[don_budge]

I am excited for YOU...tennis_chiro!

I was sort of half joking about the reality TV. Let's face it though...all in favor of the current state of the game of tennis must realize that reality TV goes hand in hand with it. It is the "new" reality. Just connect the dots! The times...they are a changing. At record speeds! The speed of light!

But you have such a great following here on the Tennisplayer.net forum that we are all excited for you in your adventure and wish you all the best of luck in the world. Your contributions are worthy of the complements and respect that the readership has always shown you. For sure I hope that there is some video from the Ed Weiss appointment...that would be just killer! Surely that would be deserving of an article here on the forum.

[don_budge]

The Second Round...snooze control

Yep tennis_chiro...it appears that the "incredible Bryan Baker" ran out of gas and finished the French Open versus Gilles Simon on fumes. He got bageled in the fifth. Trying to get five sets out of his body for all of his travails was asking a bit too much at this point. Who knows, maybe in the near future. Wimbledon surprise? Certainly he could add some much needed drama...provide just a little charisma. A little spice Stotty if you don't mind...while overcoming his frailties at the same time. There is no room for frailty in the modern game...as if there ever was in the old classic mode at the end of the day. You are right too, I like his style of play...right down to his service motion. I can appreciate guys who play the whole court that are not just stuck on the baseline. I like his attitude too. He has been down. He has been kicked around. Life has not dealt him the easiest hand but he keeps coming back against daunting odds. Rehabilitating from injuries is not an easy task, it's no joke...and this guy is "incredible". He has made a career of doing just that. I love his attitude. He can be beaten but certainly not defeated. We can all take stock in that.

So much for the top half part of the draw in the second round. Not much to note but in the third round some of the matches have two recognizable names and things begin to get interesting. Down in the southern half of the draw it is just a bit more interesting in the second round as we have two Americans still in contention. There is this British fellow Andy Murray that you and Stotty have been speculating about...a potential match up with David Ferrer. The thing that I have just begun thinking about a bit is could John Isner be a factor in that part of the draw. If he could somehow sneak by Ferrer and reach a possible matchup against Murray and Murray's back is the least bit FRAIL...could Isner emerge as a dark horse in that part of the draw?

It just occurred to me that there were just two Americans left and one of them I don't know if I have ever heard of. Jesse Levine goes up against Milos Raonic, who himself developed the reputation of a potential Slam contender of the future. Levine is all of 5' 7" tall and weighs a paltry 150 pounds...currently ranked 131 in the world. This is a Parisian remake of David and Goliath. Big serving Raonic shows flashes of brilliance at smaller venues...can he adapt his big game for a big stage? He certainly could, especially if he starts to become a presence at the net a bit more. For those of us that are searching for elements of matches to make them just a little more interesting...Levine was born in Canada and Raonic has relocated there. A couple of Canucks facing off in gay Paris. Just a little drama to the fire or a little fire to the drama. Just trying to jazz things up a bit.

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! (to quote Nabrug as he continues to haunt us from somewhere deep in the Netherlands)

[tennis_chiro]

Overexcited

OK. I got a little overexcited. But if you get to see a recording of the third and fourth sets, it was amazing.

All profs to Simon for getting it together and taking back control of the match. The bubble burst for Baker. But look for him to make a good move into the top 100 this summer. But beating Simon in 5 was a little too much for him right now.

don

[tennis_chiro]

Check out Brian Baker

You have to check out Brian Baker. coming back from 2 sets down to 2-2 right now. Great feed from LiveScoreHunter.com or LSHunter.tv. except it's in Spanish.

But this kid (no kid) is really good. I have never seen an American with this kind of game. Especially the drop shot. And he attacks and likes the net! Don_budge, you should love watching this guy. And the amazing thing is he won 80 to 90% of his points on his second serve in the 3rd and 4th sets. Really !

As for reality tv, no way. I will keep you updated on my progress, but reality tv, no! And if anyone knows someone near Easthampton who wants to rent a room for July and August, please let me know!!

Oh, oh! Simon is starting to wear him down.

But check it out if you can,

don

[don_budge]

tennis_chiro...on the road again.

Hey Don...maybe a little reality TV program about your trek across the country? Start filming now in the packing phase just in case.

[don_budge]

Murray vs. Serena...

Fascinating discussion about Andy Murray...arguably the weak link in The Big Four of tennis today. He is the only one not to have won a major. Mentally he doesn't cut it against the other three when the chips are down but one has to admit he dominates most the rest, most of the time. One thing about Andy...he is dreadfully boring, both in the interview room and on the court. Maybe less so on the court but he needs to be more aggressive. He is a typical "modern tennis player" these days...and I think it is necessary to make that distinction even as we leave The Golden Age or The Classic Age of tennis in the rear view mirror. To compare his backhand to the backhand of James Scott Connors is borderline ridiculous Stotty. You have to factor in the size of the heart as well as the size of the racquet...even when discussing a single stroke. Andy Murray is the only player left to represent Great Britain in the French Open Championships. Murray has a lifetime head to head of 5-4 against David Ferrer which is sort of surprising. Ferrer is like that against the top players...tough.

The French on the other hand have twelve players left in the draw while the Spanish have seven remaining and the United States has a grand total of three still vying for the title.

Yesterdays tennis was rather forgettable especially if you did not happen to be at Roland Garros. I am sure that the spectacle of the tournament made it worthwhile to attend...being in gay Paris and all, but looking over the results left me with the feeling that my wife is right. Where is the charisma? I will tell you where it is. It is in the "Game, Set and Mats" wrap up after the days play. Mats Wilander is looking more and more like the go to guy in the booth. His analysis and wry criticism of the game as it stands today makes him the yardstick when it comes to tennis analysis these days...these modern days. Good old Mats definitely has a foot in the past as well...he is just barely old enough to know better.

Seeing as the Men's side of things was a rather nonevent in the sense that everything has gone as planned...that is, the Big Four are marching on, the only thing worth discussing may well be Serena Williams exit from the stage. I picked up the match at the beginning of the third set and it would be interesting to know what happened in the first two without having to actually watch it. Serena was defeated in the first round by a little known journeywoman French player by the name of Virginnie Razzano...4-6, 7-6, 6-3. Somehow Virginnie got herself into the position of being up 5-0 in the third set and then she woke up and realized where she was at and had a host of problems getting the horse in the barn. That is she had a whale of a time nailing down match point. She had at least six before she finally clinched it.

I don't know...the argument might be made that it was an exciting match. It was alright I suppose. It was over three hours long which is considerably longer than usual for a woman's single match. The tennis was not overly impressive, afterall Mademoiselle Razzano is ranked only 111th in the world. What made the match somewhat entertaining was a combination of things that make tennis matches interesting even if the play is less than stellar.

First of all there was the service motion of Virginnie. My first impulse would be to say that it was horrible but then I know that bottle would take the same position when I said that about Marion Bartolli last year...he prefers the word quirky. This was one of the most unorthodox service motions that I have ever seen and one has to wonder where do the French come up with this stuff. Perhaps it is because of the great influence of art in the culture...the players and coaches simply take artistic license when it comes to their technique. As with all things unorthodox Virginnie had a real difficult time keeping her nerves under control having to utilize this inferior motion under the weight of playing her national championships before a full house of her fellow French compatriots against one of the best players in the world. Being up 5-0 against Serena is no guarantee...it isn't over until the last point is won. Virginnie hit two to the weakest double faults that I have ever witnessed in the process of serving out the match to defeat Serena in the deciding set. I would love to see Brian Gordon hook up all of his gizmo's, gadgets and contraptions to this ladies serve.

Another thing that I found somewhat perplexing about the match was that the umpire on numerous occasions awarded a point or had a point replayed due to the noise that the women were emitting...the foul use of the grunt. There must have been some kind of rule implemented because this appeared to be something new but I have no idea what the rule is defined by. There were points that both women were grunting their little hearts out and no infraction was called upon but on a couple of occasions they barely let out a feeble squeak and there was the lady in the chair stopping play and awarding a point. Maybe they are trying to get a handle on the either the decibels or the distraction factor. The umpire called this new infraction on Virginnie late in the match when she was trying her heart out to steer Serena into the barn with her feeble, unorthodox serve and it appeared that the French crowd would of loved to march Madam Umpire straight to the guillotine. Now that was entertaining.

The thing that I missed regarding this little spectacle was the Serena Williams interview afterwards. I can only imagine what she had to say. I wonder if she managed to get the whole foot in her mouth this time.

[tennis_chiro]

Change the footwork?!

It's mostly just lack of self-belief. He's plumb in the middle of perhaps the greatest tennis era ever, and knows it. There is no room for frailty in today's tennis...he knows that too. From where he has come from to where he is today is monumental. He just needs to cross the line and join the others by winning a slam. If he can do that, other slams may follow.

He does lack the forehand of the other top three, though...that forehand is the reason he is passive at times. No matter how good his backhand is, it can never compensate for his weaker wing.

The forehand is the most important shot in the game, isn't it? It can be so decisive in separating players...

I think it was JY that pointed out his lack of that little bit extra shoulder turn because he always sets up completely open. He can't change his stroke at this point, but perhaps he could learn to set up at 45 degrees when possible if not more and that might enable him to find that additional firepower. I would think Lendl might be able to encourage him in that direction. But I wonder if they are even aware of that critical shortcoming. I think the difference would feel good to him and that might make it possible for him to make the change.

don

[stotty]

Murray

Perhaps you are right about Murray, ... IF HE IS FIT. If he is, he definitely has more game than Ferrer and probably even Djokovic and Nadal. I've just been so disappointed by his inability to deliver on expectations. I certainly got them up pretty high after his swing through the Asian circuit last fall.

It's hard to know how much of a problem his back is. If it is his back, then he's got a legitimate excuse for some of his losses since last fall. But if it's not really his back, then we are seeing some serious problem in how much "heart" he has for the confrontational existence he is immersed in at the top of the game. If he is dealing with a back problem all this time and still maintaining his ranking, that's pretty impressive. He didn't seem to be complaining about his back that much the first few tournaments with Lendl at his side.

If he plays aggressively like he did against Nadal at Tokyo, he is a different player. Yes different surfaces and conditions, but the mind set is so critical. His tendency is to fall back to playing steady, reactionary tennis. When he moves up to proactive tactics, he may be better than any of them.

It takes such a clear mind to play the way any of the top four (including Murray) play when they are firing on all cylinders. It just seems like he has a hard time getting to that place in his head.

don

It's mostly just lack of self-belief. He's plumb in the middle of perhaps the greatest tennis era ever, and knows it. There is no room for frailty in today's tennis...he knows that too. From where he has come from to where he is today is monumental. He just needs to cross the line and join the others by winning a slam. If he can do that, other slams may follow.

He does lack the forehand of the other top three, though...that forehand is the reason he is passive at times. No matter how good his backhand is, it can never compensate for his weaker wing.

The forehand is the most important shot in the game, isn't it? It can be so decisive in separating players...